The Jacket  6
by charlieboy
Summary: A continuation of The Jacket Series.  Alex returns to Major Case Squad after maternity leave.  Have things changed between her and Bobby?  Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**The usual disclaimers. Please read and review!**

Chapter 1

She's Back

Alex was back into the swing of things at work. She and Goren had already worked two cases with one more sitting in the wings waiting their attention. October was just around the corner. The crisp Fall air was invigorating. She stepped into the squad room carrying 2 cups of Starbuck's coffee. Setting one in front of Bobby, she went to her desk.

Without looking up from the file, Bobby acknowledged the delivery. She set her coffee on her desk. Dropping her purse in the drawer, she took off her coat and slung it over the chair. She was so glad to be back, and so glad she was at _her_ desk.

Sitting down, she opened a file. She looked up at her partner. Tilting her head she chewed on the end of her pencil. She noted that his hair needed a cut, and that there appeared to be more gray around his temples. Feeling her stare, he looked up and smiled. Alex slightly blushed and looked back at the file.

Bobby studied her face. He had been noticing an increase of stares and side glances from Alex. He tapped his chin with his pen. He reached in his drawer and pulled out some papers. Glancing through them, he smiled. _Hormones. _

Alex had seen the movement and watched him as he flipped through the papers and smile. _"What's that?"_

He quickly gathered the papers together and shoved them back into the drawer and closed it. His quiet eyes met hers. _"A study."_

Alex felt herself blush slightly again. _"About...?"_

He cleared his throat. _"About the hormonal shift women go through after birth. I, I thought I'd better be prepared, for, for when you came back."_

Alex's face revealed her annoyance. _"Every woman experiences things differently."_

Bobby looked down at the file. _"Yeah, but there are several things that all women go through. One thing in common, is the hormonal shift."_

Alex's blush deepened. Feeling her temper rise, she bit her tongue. She didn't want her bodily functions to become the topic of the squad room. Bobby waited for a retort. He noted the deepened blush, he smiled slightly and went back to studying the file.

By 5 PM they were shutting down their computers and heading towards the elevators. The bite of the early evening air nearly took Alex's breath away, as she wrapped her coat tighter around her. Bobby headed towards his and Mike's favorite pub. Alex had begged off, stating she had laundry to do.

Opening her door to her home, she kicked off her shoes and headed towards the kitchen. Digging through the fridge, she found the remains of last evenings dinner. She popped it in the microwave and headed down the hall to her bedroom. Dunning a jogging outfit, she padded back to the kitchen and checked her dinner. Resetting the timer, she went to the hall closet.

Opening it, she smiled. _"Hello old friend." _Taking it off the hanger, she walked it to the washer and plopped it in. Putting the machine on gentle cycle, she went back to the kitchen and ate.

By 8, she had the jacket over her lap, and she was studying it. It had been fraying around the edges of the cuffs. Holding a needle and thread, she tentatively began repairing it. She skewered her face, not quite sure how it was going to work out.

The jacket relaxed on her lap, feeling the first hesitant prick of the needle, it's weaves tightened up. The second prick was even more hesitant. He shifted on her lap, trying to move out of harms way. Alex grabbed the sliding jacket and moved it back in place. Before she could take her third stab at it, she heard a knock on her front door. She sighed. Carrying the jacket, needle and thread, she went to the door.

Opening it, she saw Bobby standing on the porch. She smiled. _"I thought this was to be 'the boy's night out on the town'?"_

Bobby grinned. _"It was, until Mike got a better offer." _He looked down at the jacket and furrowed his brow. _"Cross stitching, Eames?"_

Alex looked down at the jacket, and frowned. _"Some minor repair, before it gets worse."_

Bobby shook his head, lightly touching the stitching. _"It'll never hold like that."_

She moved aside to let him in. _"Okay Betsy Ross, show me how it's done."_

Bobby stepped in and removed his coat. Alex shoved the jacket, needle and thread into his hands. He smiled, taking care to grab hold of the needle before he was stuck. Following Alex into the living room, he asked, _"Ah, where's your sewing box?"_

Alex stopped suddenly, and Bobby, studying the jacket, nearly walked over her. _"Ah, I really don't have a sewing box."_

Bobby raised a brow. _"Well, then get what you do have." _

Alex trotted off, and moments later came back with a shoe box. Bobby had already sat down on the couch. He had kicked his shoes off, and had his heels resting on the coffee table. She set the box next to him on the couch. He picked it up and began digging through it. He found a curved needle and heavy thread.

He glanced at Alex, who was perched on the couch's arm. _"I'll need scissors."_

Alex disappeared again. She came back with one. Placing it in the box, she resumed her position on the arm of the couch. She watched as he took out the stitching she had just put in. Carefully putting the needle away, he threaded the curved needle, and began working.

The jacket rested calmly on his legs as the steady and sure hand maneuvered the needle and thread around its cuffs. One done, Bobby duplicated the work on the other cuff. Finishing, he held the jacket up and gave it a shake. He frowned and put the jacket back on his lap. Taking another length of thread, he began working on the edge of the collar.

Alex watched silently. Each stitch taken matched perfectly to the previous one. She shook her head in amazement. Bobby caught the movement, and gave her a side glance. _"I learned in the army."_

"_Most men wouldn't have admitted to learning it at all."_

Bobby grinned. _"I'll take that as a compliment." _

Finishing, he stood up and shook the jacket out. Holding it up, he eyed not only the repairs he had just completed, but also the previous ones. He sighed. _"I just can't quite tell."_

He handed the jacket out to Alex. _"Put it on, I want to make sure I didn't miss any needed repairs."_

Alex stood up, and put it on. Before she could secure the front, he ran over the stitching near the opening of the jacket. He felt where the lining met the outer shell. He pulled it out and studied it. Alex caught her breath when she felt his hand brush against her side. She felt her heart begin to race, she was almost sure he could hear the pounding against her chest. After what seemed like forever, Bobby let go of the edge of the jacket. Alex slowly exhaled.

He reached over and felt the front of the jacket furrowing his brow, he asked, _"How is it repelling water?"_

Alex blurted out the words. _"Just fine!"_

He gave her a quizzical look, suddenly realizing that his hand had stopped on the repair over the heart, he quickly let his hand drop. Embarrassed, he let his gaze drop to the floor. He rubbed the back of his neck, not quite sure to how to apologize. Lifting his head, he looked into Alex's eyes. For a brief moment, he saw the teenage girl from years ago standing in front of him. Bending down, he gave her a kiss on her forehead.


	2. The Kiss

**I do not own the characters of CI, nor do I gain anything from writing about them. But, I sure do have fun, and that's what this is all about!**

Chapter 2

The Kiss

Alex's eyes open wide as Bobby lifted his lips from her forehead. She had thought about '_the kiss'_ over the years, and it had always brought a smile to her lips. But, at the moment, she was stunned, and the words failed her. She was also getting very, very warm in the jacket.

He tilted his head so that his eyes met hers. _"Are you alright?"_

She looked into his brown eyes and lost herself. _"Huh?"_

He gently took her by the shoulders and gave her a slight shake. _"Alex, are you alright?" _His voice was a little firmer.

Her head cleared with his touch. _"Ah, yeah, just a little warm." _She mumbled.

She began taking the jacket off. He helped her out of it, placing it on the arm of the couch. Alex sat on the couch, feeling her heart wanting to bust out of her rib cage. _"Bobby, what was that all about?"_

He pulled the ottoman up to the couch. Putting his elbows on his knees, he tented his lips with his fingers. Dropping a hand to the jacket, he thoughtfully rubbed the sleeve. _"You know, I have had this since I was in boot camp? It went with me everywhere." _

For the next hour, Bobby talked about the history of the jacket, the tears and the repairs, pointing to each one, telling her where and when they happened. Alex sat with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs, listening intently to his stories. Some had her laughing, others, had her stroking the jacket, with her wishing it was Bobby.

When he finished his stories, he looked up into her face, his quiet brown eyes were unwavering. _"Then, one day, a beautiful young woman found my jacket. I, I never thought I would see her again, but as fate would have it, not only did I see her again, but also my jacket."_

Alex smiled. _"__My__ jacket, bought and paid for, remember?"_

Bobby smiled softly. _"I remember." _He picked up her hand and gave it a light kiss. He sighed and stood up. _"Alex, it's getting to late, I need to leave."_

Alex frowned. _She didn't want him to leave. _She quickly debated on whether to ask, no, _beg him_ to stay. She quickly ruled that out. The mood of the room had changed since he stood up. She realized there would be no convincing Bobby.

She nodded. _"Yeah, we've got a case to work on tomorrow."_

He smiled. Sadly wishing she had asked him to stay.

She walked him to the door. He put his coat on. Turning, towards Alex he smiled. He bent down to give her another kiss on the forehead. Just at the _right_ moment, she tilted her head up and caught him full on the lips.


	3. After Shock

**The usual disclaimers. Please read and review!**

**A/N: I want to thank LOCIGrl06 for her help in giving me a story line for the rest of this story!**

Chapter 3

After Shock

The kiss only lasted a brief moment. Alex put her hand on his chest, feeling his heart pound against his shirt and coat. She gently pushed him through the open door. Once closed, she leaned against the door wondering if she should have pushed him towards her bedroom, rather than out the door. She shook her head. As good as she was with working with suspects, she wasn't sure the same aggressiveness would work with Bobby.

Bobby stood on the porch looking at the door, wondering if he should try to make his way back into her home. He rubbed his face, feeling the two day's growth of whiskers beneath his hand. He looked at the window and saw the lights go out. He stood in the glow of the porch light, trying to imagine what she was doing. _Showering? What will she wear to bed? _He shook his head trying to remove the images. _Bobby, you've got it bad._

Alex dropped on to her bed. She lightly touched her lips and cheeks, remembering how soft his lips were against hers and how rough his whiskers felt against her cheeks. _Girl, what did you do? How will you face him tomorrow? How will I stop these thoughts? _She moaned and rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. Sleep didn't come easily, but when it did, the dreams she had brought a smile to her lips.

She walked into the squad room carrying the usual two cups of Starbuck's coffee. Bobby was already studying the most recent case file. His rumpled appearance gave her the impression that he also found sleep hard to come by last night.

Bobby heard his partner approaching. He fought the urge to look up, keeping his eyes focused on the file, jotting notes in his portfolio. She set the cup of coffee on his desk and took her seat at her desk. His lack of response caused Alex to bite her lip. _I crossed that invisible line. _ She opened the file and began studying it.

The day's activities didn't leave either of the detectives much of an opportunity to talk, or think about the evening before. Alex was, in some ways relieved, in others, disappointed. By mid day, she wondered if it all had been a mistake, wishing she hadn't allowed or taken the initiative of the second kiss. Throughout the day, she caught Bobby rubbing the back of his neck several times. His normal cue that he was lost in his thoughts, and his stress level was increasing.

Bobby remained focused on the case. Only allowing his mind to drift to the previous evening's events for brief moments. His side glances at Alex left him wondering if she had been thinking about it. He heard an occasional sigh from her, causing him to worry that he had over stepped his bounds. He thought how easy it was to question a suspect, a victim, and yet, how difficult it was to talk to Alex about something so simple.

The day ended in the squad room with them discussing the case, filling out reports, but not of the evening before. Leaving both detectives individually wondering if it had happened at all, and if it had, was it taboo to even discuss? Alex began shutting down her computer, and cleaning off her desk. Bobby leaned back in his chair quietly watching her. She felt his eyes on her, her heart began racing.

He began closing the files on his desk. _"Do you have plans for the evening?"_

Her heart skipped a beat. _"Ah yeah. My sister and her husband are planning to go out. I offered to babysit Nick." _She looked at him and smiled. _"How about you?"_

He returned her smile. Alex often visited her nephew and he knew their bond was strong. _"I plan on going over to Louis's and check out his latest project."_

Alex put her coat on, fumbling with the buttons, as she felt his continued gaze on her. She grabbed her purse out of her drawer. _"Well, I promised them I'd be there by 6." _She glanced at the clock. _"Tell Louis I said hi." _With that she headed towards the elevator.

Bobby watched her leave, his heart sinking. He mentally kicked himself for not broaching the subject. He wanted to know, without a doubt, if she felt the same way he did. He leaned back in his chair staring at the ceiling. _This is going to be one hell of a long weekend._


	4. Nick

**The usual disclaimers. Please read and review!**

Chapter 4

Nick

As she pulled up to her sister's home, she reached in the back seat grabbing her jacket and her purse. Her sister and Nick greeted her at the door. Alex gave both a quick kiss before she ran down the hall to change.

Alex's sister, Cindy, and her husband, Paul, made it a point to always make her feel welcome. Although their home was not overly large, Alex had her own small room in which she could leave some of her clothes, and personal items. She was grateful that she had left one of her favorite sweats at their home. Even more grateful that Cindy would occasionally wash it, keeping it fresh and soft.

Switching on the bedroom light, Alex threw the jacket and her purse on the bed and quickly changed. Then she went to gather up her nephew and see them off. Closing the door, she made sure that the dead bolt was locked.

For the next hour and a half, she played with, fed, and changed her nephew. He was alert, cooing, smiling, and loved the attention his auntie gave him. Alex bent over him on the couch and blew on his belly. She wasn't sure if he was smiling because of the sound, or the vibration of the blow. She blew on him again. He squealed and moved his little legs out in response.

Picking him up, she cradled him in her arms and walked over to the stereo. Picking out a station that played soft music, she slowly danced him around the room, humming to the music.

A dark SUV pulled up outside the house. The driver got out, leaning against the vehicle, he watched as the woman passed by the window. He smiled at her attempt to do the waltz. Taking the last drag on the cigarette, he dropped it on the ground and stepped on it. He slowly approached the front door, hesitantly, he knocked.

Alex stopped mid dip, hearing a knock at the front door. She quickly put Nick in his child seat. Making sure he was strapped in, she walked to the door and looked through the peep hole. Her heart skipped a beat. Bobby stood outside the door.

Alex glanced at her nephew and smiled. _"Looks like we've got company, kiddo."_

She opened the door. _"What brings you to this neck of the woods, Bobby?"_

He had just turned around to look at his SUV wondering if he was out of his mind for coming here. He heard the door open. _Too late to make an escape. _He turned looking at Alex and grinned. _"Ah, well," _He paused, he wasn't sure how to explain the visit. _"After leaving Lewis's garage, I found myself driving around, and before I knew it...I, I was here." _He spread his hands apart, as if apologizing as well as explaining.

Alex stepped aside to let him enter. He stood in the living room, unsure if he should remove his coat or not. Alex touched his arm. _"Here, let me take your coat." _

Bobby's demeanor relaxed as he removed his coat, handing it to Alex. In an instant, he was on the floor next to Nick. _"He's growing!" _His voice contained surprise and satisfaction.

Alex laughed as she sat down next to them. Undoing the strap that was holding him in, she handed her nephew to Bobby. He cradled him in his big arms, making Nick appear even smaller than he was. _"Yeah, he's got quite the appetite too."_

Nick peered up into the big man's face and cooed. Bobby smiled, holding out his finger for him to grab. _"Good motor skills, excellent hand, eye coordination." _

Alex rolled her eyes. _Leave it to Goren to analyze the baby's health, rather than enjoying the moment._

He stood up and began walking with the baby, talking to him. Alex moved to the couch and watched the two together. Her heart warmed as she realized how well both were responding to each other. She glanced at the clock. Standing up she said, _"Time for Nicky's bath."_

Bobby looked down into the baby's face, and back at Alex. His eyes were almost pleading. She was sure he was going to ask for five more minutes with him. Instead, he asked, _"Can I give him the bath?"_

Totally caught off guard, Alex stammered, _"I, I suppose. Do you know how to give a baby a bath?"_

He smiled. _"If you'll show me how to begin, I'm sure we can figure it out from there."_

Alex set up the baby bath tub on the kitchen table and laid out a fresh diaper, baby powered, a baby's washcloth and soap. In no time, Bobby was handling the situation like an expert, and Nick appeared to be enjoying the whole experience. As he dressed Nick in his jammies, Alex began warming up the bottle. She tested the formula on her wrist. Satisfied, she handed the bottle to Bobby. Carrying bottle and baby to the rocker, he sat down, slowly rocking as Nick drank. Alex grabbed a spit rag and draped it over his shoulders. Lifting Nick against his shoulder, he lightly patted his back. He was rewarded with a very loud belch. Lowering him, he rocked him until his eyes closed. Bobby looked over at Alex.

She turned her head away, before he could see the tears in her eyes. The sight of this big man being so gentle with such a little baby pulled at her heart strings. Wiping her eyes quickly, she looked back over at Bobby. _"It's time for bed." _She whispered.

Bobby slowly rose, following Alex to the room. Laying Nicky in his bed, he lightly brushed his large hand over his head. Alex turned on the baby monitor, and the night light, quietly they left the room.

As Bobby reached for his coat, Alex put her hand on his arm. _"Stay."_


	5. Truths

**I do not own the characters of CI, nor do I receive any compensation from writing about them. **

**A/N: Thank you everyone for your responses! The encouraging words have made this and all the jacket stories a delight to write.**

Chapter 5

Truths

Bobby's heart jumped when he felt her hand on his arm. It nearly stopped, when she asked him to stay. He put his coat back on the armed chair and looked down into her eyes. _"Are you sure?"_

She pursed his lips. _"Of course I'm sure." _

Her body language challenged him to argue, all Bobby could do was grin. She relaxed when saw his response. She walked to the fridge and brought out two beers. She came back to the living room, and handed him one. _"What do you want to do?"_

Taking the beer, a look of guilt crossed his face. _"I could use a smoke." _

Alex nodded. Checking on Nick as she passed his bedroom, she went to hers and grabbed the jacket. Bobby had already stepped out onto the porch, sitting on the steps. He lit one as she took a seat next to him. The stars were out, and the cool evening air frosted their breaths. Alex shivered, wrapping the jacket around her a little tighter.

Bobby feeling the shiver, glanced down at Alex. Hesitating only for a second he put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. Alex's heart skipped several beats before she could relax against him. _"Bobby?"_

He flicked his half smoke cigarette towards the street. _"Mmm?"_

Alex tried to formulate the way to say it, she decided to say it directly. _"You're pretty good with babies, how so?"_

He smiled. _"It's easy. They want the basic things, to be held, food, clean diapers. They're, they're uncomplicated." _He pulled her a little closer, she felt his warmth through the jacket.

She cleared her throat. _"Why did you kiss me the other night?"_

Bobby laughed. _"When I looked at you, I saw that teenage girl at the second hand shop. I, I just felt that another kiss to the forehead was called for."_

Alex's mind raced. _He remembered the first one! _She nuzzled closer.

For the next thirty minutes they talked, sharing openly. Alex felt Bobby slightly shiver. She slipped her arms out of the jacket and shared it, each holding a corner of the collar. The jacket relaxed with the two of them beneath his shoulders, stretching himself to cover them as best as he could. He could feel their peacefulness beneath him.

Finally, the night air chased them into the house. Both checked on Nick, satisfied he was sleeping peacefully, they headed to the kitchen. Bobby took two more beers out of the fridge and handed one to Alex. She placed the jacket over the chair and sat down.

She stared at the table. Bobby raised a brow. _"What are you thinking?"_

Alex looked at him. _"It won't work, us, it won't work. The brass will find out, and that'll be the end."_

Bobby sighed. _"Let's worry about that, when it and if it happens."_

Alex frowned. She knew his feelings concerning authority. She trusted his intelligence, and his way of handling cases. She just wasn't so sure of this. She yawned.

Bobby smiled. _"Why don't you call it a night. I'll make sure Nick is fine."_

She smiled sleepily. _"Are you sure?"_

He nodded, taking her by her shoulders, he pushed her down the hall towards her room. Alex cleaned up, putting on her flannel gown, she dropped into bed. Her mind was at rest, and she quickly drifted off to sleep.

Her eyes flew open. Checking the LCD, she saw it was midnight. She looked up at the dresser. _Damn, I forgot to turn on the baby monitor. _Getting up, she walked to Nick's room. Before she reached the crib, she could see that it was empty.

Her heart raced. She ran down the hall to the living room. Peering into the dark, she saw Bobby's figure on the couch. One foot was on the floor, with the other stretched the full length of the couch. She saw an empty baby bottle on the coffee table. She walked around to view the scene. One of Bobby's arms was raised and over the top of his head, with his hand tangled in his curls. His other hand was resting on Nick's back, keeping him secure against his chest. Alex studied them both, and realized that both were breathing normally, and sleeping peacefully. She smiled at the sight.

She went to the linen closet, grabbing a light blanket, she gently placed it over Nick and Bobby. Staring down at them, she lightly kissed Bobby on the forehead. He stirred slightly, his lips curled into a little smile. Getting the jacket from the kitchen, she curled up in the rocker and drifted off to sleep.

At 2 AM the front door open silently. Cindy and Paul stepped into their home. Cindy smiled, seeing Goren's large figure on the couch cradling their small son. She saw Alex in the rocker and nudged Paul. He grinned at the sight. Adjusting the covers over Bobby and Nick, they headed towards their bedroom.


	6. Morning

**The usual disclaimers. Please read and review!**

Chapter 6

Morning

Nick stirred, slightly whimpering from the weight on his back. Bobby's eyes fluttered open. The two stared at each other for a moment. Bobby smiled, remembering the evening before. Alex heard Nick and rose from the rocker, removing the blanket, she gently lifted Nick from beneath Bobby's very numb arm. She carried him to his room to change him. Bobby grimaced as he sat up, his arm tingling. Standing, he went to the kitchen and began preparing a bottle.

Bringing Nick to the kitchen, he handed her the bottle. _"Arm's asleep."_

Alex grinned. She walked around the room talking to Nick. He stared at her with wide eyes as he suckled the bottle.

Cindy walked into the kitchen yawning. _"Hey you two. Feel like breakfast?" _She began making a pot of coffee.

Alex paused in her baby talk. _"When did you get in?"_

Cindy covered her mouth, yawning again. _"Mmm, around two." _She took some cups from the cupboard, and poured the coffee. She side glanced Bobby, who was leaning against the counter rubbing his arm. Her eyes twinkled. _"See what you're missing, Robert?"_

He smiled. The words weren't lost on him.

Paul entered the room stretching. _"I want coffee, lots, and lots of coffee." _

He reached around Cindy, giving her a peck on the cheek. Taking a cup, he looked at Bobby. _"You two looked comfortable last night." _He gave him a wink.

Cindy quickly grabbed a hand towel and put it on Alex's shoulder as she set the bottle on the table. Lightly patting his back, Nick belched loudly.

Paul grinned. _"That's my boy."_

Cindy and Alex rolled their eyes simultaneously. Paul reached over to take Nick from Alex. Cindy intercepted. _"Oh no you don't. It's your turn to cook."_

Bobby rubbed the back of his neck. He was amazed at the interaction happening in the room. _Just so calm, and light hearted. _He smiled at Cindy. _"Would you mind if I used the shower?" _

She shook her head. _"Fresh towels are in the hall closet next to the bathroom." _

He headed down the hall. Listening to the talk and the laughter. _This is what it's all about. _

As she heard the bathroom door close, Cindy looked at her sister. _"Well?"_

Alex took a sip of her much needed coffee. _"He's a natural with Nick. Gave him a bath, fed him, rocked him, and I think he even got up and changed him."_

Cindy smiled. _"Told ya."_

Bobby stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed. He looked around the living room, taking the jacket, he stepped out on porch. He lit a cigarette, sitting down, he sighed. Hearing the front door open and close, Alex's heart sank. She walked to the door, opening it. Seeing him sitting on the steps, she smiled. Still in her night gown, she walked outside and took a seat next to him.

He looked over at her and smiled. _"You're gonna catch a death of a cold coming out here like that."_

She looked up into his still sleepy eyes. _"Yeah, probably, but I've got you to nurse me back to health."_

He put his arm around her and pulled her closer. Leaning against him, she sighed softly.

**TBC (To be continued.)**

**A/N: Again, I want to thank LOCIGrl06 for the setting and the base of this story. :)**


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